Rain, rain go away, come again another day. That childhood song
has been playing in my mind since the calendar rolled over. I
’m trying to be patient and think of all of the good that is to
come from a wet season in this otherwise dry landscape.
Rain, rain go away, come again another day. That childhood song has been playing in my mind since the calendar rolled over.
I’m trying to be patient and think of all of the good that is to come from a wet season in this otherwise dry landscape.
You will remember that last year’s rains began with promise but fizzled out later in the winter. As a result, the wildflowers, for which Henry W. Coe State Park is deservedly well known, were a true disappointment for those of us who look forward to our annual indulgence of wildflower fever. The wildflower season actually begins right about now with the blooming of the Manzanita shrubs in Coe and is quickly followed by a long list of cheerful, familiar flower faces through the month of April.
Some years are better than others. Predicting a good year is a hit and miss proposition, as it seems to depend on an abundant amount of rainfall spread out throughout these wet months. Rainy as it has been, the tap could suddenly be turned off and we could experience another poor showing.
But I’m ever the optimist, so I’m predicting a spectacular showing this year.
While I wait for the wildflowers, I like to keep a close watch on the weather forecasts this time of year for the chance to catch that rare local snowfall on our hills. When a particularly well-developed low pressure system out of the north heads our way, I watch for a forecast which calls for snow down to 3,000 feet. Chances are that Henry W. Coe State Park will receive a good dusting. This is an excuse for me to declare a holiday from all other regular concerns, including work, while I head to the hills to watch the magical transformation of Coe into a winter wonderland, if only for a few hours.
On Feb. 28, 2001, Coe received about four inches of snow. Falling on a weekend, many families headed for the hills and I recall that it was difficult to find a parking spot at Coe that afternoon. Like most visitors coming to Coe for the first time, the families stayed close to the park visitor center. Sledding, it seemed, was the mission of most of these families and I couldn’t help smiling at the many things they pressed into use.
Cardboard boxes, and kitchen trays: good. The door off of one of the outhouses: bad.
As a Canadian, the white stuff is not a novelty to me, but I honestly do not recall a more beautiful sight than snow on these local pines. And I’ll keep repeating my mantra – rain is good for the wildflowers.
Rosemary Rideout is a Coe Park volunteer.
